Connecticut is one of only five states that fully taxes state pensions. 26% of retired teachers choose to move to other states upon retirement, states where their income is not heavily taxed. This is a money drain on the state of Connecticut.

Opposing the Chained CPI is important to us because any adverse effects to the SS COLA will affect us two fold. For most CT retired teachers our pension COLA is based on the SS COLA. Therefore, any reduction in the SS COLA will reduce our pension.

CT teachers contributed to their pension during their working years, and we fail to see why our pension is not considered a private pension, but looked at as a SS retirement benefit. The GPO/WEP has turned into an unfair and regressive tax on thousands of municipal workers throughout the country. It is an unfair law that mainly discriminates against widowed women.